Evan Silva

Training Camp Lowdown

Preseason Tale of the Tape

Preseason games are largely meaningless, but they can provide us with clues when it comes to usage, depth chart position, and performance quality after we sift through the trash. Cam Newton's 2011 preseason stats and ball movement were pathetic, but he stood tall in the pocket and didn't run when his first read was covered. Coming out of Auburn's read-option, run-first offense, that was a hidden, but promising sign. If you watched Jimmy Graham's 2011 preseason, you knew he was poised for an explosion. Graham was a fixture in New Orleans' first-team offense all August, and emerged as Drew Brees' favorite target when the real games began.

Each NFL team has at least one preseason game in the books. (The Cardinals and Saints have two.). I picked four quarterbacks, three running backs, three receivers, and two tight ends to review for this column. I watched and charted every snap they played and made observations.

Let's get to them:

Quarterbacks

Robert Griffin III, RedskinsStats: 4-of-6 for 70 yards and a touchdown; one rush for no yards.

Recap: NFL.com charged Griffin with a fumble on a botched handoff, although the ball bounced off Evan Royster's belly and was clearly his running back's fault. Royster acknowledged as much after the game. Griffin played 13 snaps against the Bills, showing composure, not once leaving the pocket to scramble, and getting the football out quickly on pass plays. RG3 targeted Pierre Garcon four times, completing three. The fourth should have been good for a first-down pickup, but Garcon failed to drag his second foot in bounds along the left sideline. (On second thought, Garcon did get two feet down and the bad call was on the replacement refs.) Griffin also hooked up with Leonard Hankerson for a 12-yard gain. The two incompletions were the fault of others; the fundamental Garcon referee error and a drop by Niles Paul accounted for the only "missed" throws. Griffin's 20-yard touchdown to Garcon came on a nifty wide receiver screen.

Takeaways: The sample size was small and the game plan simplistic, but RG3 impressed most by doing everything right he's allegedly done wrong in camp. He didn't hold onto the ball too long once, and displayed accuracy and touch on short to intermediate throws. Griffin showed tremendous velocity on a 20-yard rocket ball to Garcon over the middle, after a play-action fake. I want to see more of Griffin, but this was a nice first impression. He looks ready to play in the NFL.

Recap:Matt Hasselbeck completed 5-of-9 attempts for 45 yards and two interceptions. Hasselbeck didn't play as poorly as the box score suggests, but the Titans left their first-team offense in for Locker's first series, getting him action with the starters. All in all, Locker played 17 snaps. Locker's ball placement can be erratic, but he continued to demonstrate impressive zip on intermediate throws, hooking up with Kendall Wright for gains of 15, 14, and 18, as well as Marc Mariani for 13 yards. Two passes were dropped by receivers, one by blocking TE Craig Stevens and another by Chris Johnson. The Titans noticeably ran more empty-back sets with Locker in the game than they did with Hasselbeck, frequently sending four and five players into pass routes.

Takeaways: Locker earned the opportunity to start Tennessee's second exhibition game by avoiding turnovers in the opener, an area in which he's also outperformed Hasselbeck in camp. Whereas Locker has thrown just two interceptions in team drills, Hasselbeck has thrown eight, not including preseason stats. Locker brings more big-play potential to the offense because he has superior arm talent and athleticism. If Locker is also playing more efficiently, the starting job will be his.

Ryan Tannehill, DolphinsStats: 14-of-21 for 167 yards and a touchdown; one five-yard rush.

Recap: Tannehill relieved Matt Moore (7-of-12 for 79 yards and an interception) after two possessions in Miami's preseason opener. Albeit against Bucs backups, the rookie was terrific on 27 snaps. He stood coolly in the eye of the storm, not reacting to pressure and easing calmly through his progressions. Perhaps most impressively, Tannehill elevated the performance of his teammates, consistently giving Julius Pruitt, Roberto Wallace, and Charles Clay considerable run-after-catch opportunities. Tannehill would have had a second touchdown if not for official overturn of his seven-yard scoring pass to Wallace, made on a missile throw between three defenders.

Takeaways: Tannehill has a big arm and big-time athleticism, and the big leagues aren't too big for him, if the exhibition opener was any indication. He made Pruitt look like a slot machine inside the numbers, and Clay look like Antonio Gates down the seam. It's only a matter of time before Tannehill ascends into the starting lineup. I think that will happen sooner rather than later.

Peyton Manning, BroncosStats: 4-of-7 for 44 yards and an interception; no rushes.

Recap: Manning played 11 snaps in Denver's preseason opener at Soldier Field. For a 36-year-old battling back from four neck surgeries, he looked pretty good. Manning put mustard on a third-and-17 pass to Eric Decker that went for a gain of 19, and his interception probably should have been handled by intended target Brandon Stokley, although the throw was a hair behind the Broncos' slot receiver. Manning got sound protection from his offensive line, but he did not challenge Chicago's defense deep. He targeted Decker twice and Jacob Tamme twice.

Takeaways: Manning showed that he can still rip it on throws to intermediate sections, and that's a positive sign. We still haven't seen him connect on vertical passes downfield. He had an 11-yard hookup with Demaryius Thomas called back by penalty, and later overshot Thomas in the back right corner of the end zone. Manning looked alright at Chicago. I still want to see more.

Preseason games are largely meaningless, but they can provide us with clues when it comes to usage, depth chart position, and performance quality after we sift through the trash. Cam Newton's 2011 preseason stats and ball movement were pathetic, but he stood tall in the pocket and didn't run when his first read was covered. Coming out of Auburn's read-option, run-first offense, that was a hidden, but promising sign. If you watched Jimmy Graham's 2011 preseason, you knew he was poised for an explosion. Graham was a fixture in New Orleans' first-team offense all August, and emerged as Drew Brees' favorite target when the real games began.

Each NFL team has at least one preseason game in the books. (The Cardinals and Saints have two.). I picked four quarterbacks, three running backs, three receivers, and two tight ends to review for this column. I watched and charted every snap they played and made observations.

Let's get to them:

Quarterbacks

Robert Griffin III, RedskinsStats: 4-of-6 for 70 yards and a touchdown; one rush for no yards.

Recap: NFL.com charged Griffin with a fumble on a botched handoff, although the ball bounced off Evan Royster's belly and was clearly his running back's fault. Royster acknowledged as much after the game. Griffin played 13 snaps against the Bills, showing composure, not once leaving the pocket to scramble, and getting the football out quickly on pass plays. RG3 targeted Pierre Garcon four times, completing three. The fourth should have been good for a first-down pickup, but Garcon failed to drag his second foot in bounds along the left sideline. (On second thought, Garcon did get two feet down and the bad call was on the replacement refs.) Griffin also hooked up with Leonard Hankerson for a 12-yard gain. The two incompletions were the fault of others; the fundamental Garcon referee error and a drop by Niles Paul accounted for the only "missed" throws. Griffin's 20-yard touchdown to Garcon came on a nifty wide receiver screen.

Takeaways: The sample size was small and the game plan simplistic, but RG3 impressed most by doing everything right he's allegedly done wrong in camp. He didn't hold onto the ball too long once, and displayed accuracy and touch on short to intermediate throws. Griffin showed tremendous velocity on a 20-yard rocket ball to Garcon over the middle, after a play-action fake. I want to see more of Griffin, but this was a nice first impression. He looks ready to play in the NFL.

Recap:Matt Hasselbeck completed 5-of-9 attempts for 45 yards and two interceptions. Hasselbeck didn't play as poorly as the box score suggests, but the Titans left their first-team offense in for Locker's first series, getting him action with the starters. All in all, Locker played 17 snaps. Locker's ball placement can be erratic, but he continued to demonstrate impressive zip on intermediate throws, hooking up with Kendall Wright for gains of 15, 14, and 18, as well as Marc Mariani for 13 yards. Two passes were dropped by receivers, one by blocking TE Craig Stevens and another by Chris Johnson. The Titans noticeably ran more empty-back sets with Locker in the game than they did with Hasselbeck, frequently sending four and five players into pass routes.

Takeaways: Locker earned the opportunity to start Tennessee's second exhibition game by avoiding turnovers in the opener, an area in which he's also outperformed Hasselbeck in camp. Whereas Locker has thrown just two interceptions in team drills, Hasselbeck has thrown eight, not including preseason stats. Locker brings more big-play potential to the offense because he has superior arm talent and athleticism. If Locker is also playing more efficiently, the starting job will be his.

Ryan Tannehill, DolphinsStats: 14-of-21 for 167 yards and a touchdown; one five-yard rush.

Recap: Tannehill relieved Matt Moore (7-of-12 for 79 yards and an interception) after two possessions in Miami's preseason opener. Albeit against Bucs backups, the rookie was terrific on 27 snaps. He stood coolly in the eye of the storm, not reacting to pressure and easing calmly through his progressions. Perhaps most impressively, Tannehill elevated the performance of his teammates, consistently giving Julius Pruitt, Roberto Wallace, and Charles Clay considerable run-after-catch opportunities. Tannehill would have had a second touchdown if not for official overturn of his seven-yard scoring pass to Wallace, made on a missile throw between three defenders.

Takeaways: Tannehill has a big arm and big-time athleticism, and the big leagues aren't too big for him, if the exhibition opener was any indication. He made Pruitt look like a slot machine inside the numbers, and Clay look like Antonio Gates down the seam. It's only a matter of time before Tannehill ascends into the starting lineup. I think that will happen sooner rather than later.

Peyton Manning, BroncosStats: 4-of-7 for 44 yards and an interception; no rushes.

Recap: Manning played 11 snaps in Denver's preseason opener at Soldier Field. For a 36-year-old battling back from four neck surgeries, he looked pretty good. Manning put mustard on a third-and-17 pass to Eric Decker that went for a gain of 19, and his interception probably should have been handled by intended target Brandon Stokley, although the throw was a hair behind the Broncos' slot receiver. Manning got sound protection from his offensive line, but he did not challenge Chicago's defense deep. He targeted Decker twice and Jacob Tamme twice.

Takeaways: Manning showed that he can still rip it on throws to intermediate sections, and that's a positive sign. We still haven't seen him connect on vertical passes downfield. He had an 11-yard hookup with Demaryius Thomas called back by penalty, and later overshot Thomas in the back right corner of the end zone. Manning looked alright at Chicago. I still want to see more.

Recap: Johnson played 13 offensive snaps against Seattle, which fielded one of the league's top run defenses in 2011. The Seahawks appear poised to keep it up, often getting backfield penetration on Johnson's rushing attempts in the preseason opener. Johnson was tackled for a loss twice and held to two yards or fewer on two of his other five carries. The fifth run went for nine yards on a cutback, inside zone play. Johnson didn't display much acceleration or elusiveness, although it's difficult to confidently evaluate him when Johnson really had room to run just two or three times. Johnson did drop his two pass targets, both on screen play attempts.

Takeaways: I want to see more of Johnson this preseason, but he did nothing against Seattle to suggest he's headed for a rebound year. Johnson needs to get better in the passing game in a hurry because the Titans are opening up their offense. Already a poor pass blocker, unreliable hands could cost Johnson significant snaps. The Titans can pull him for Javon Ringer.

Recap: Competitor Roy Helu rushed four times for 17 yards and lost three on his lone reception. Helu played strictly with the second-team offense, while Royster took every first-team tailback snap in the opener (13 in all). Royster's depth chart positioning was promising against the Bills, but his on-field play wasn't. Royster lost a fumble on Washington's sixth play from scrimmage and continued to show little to no burst and acceleration. He gained 12 yards on an outside zone run and five on another inside zone play, but was held to three yards or fewer on each of his other five carries. He was not targeted in the passing game, nor asked to pass protect.

Takeaways: Redskins coaches seem infatuated with Royster as a potential workhorse runner, but he's going to have to play better than this to keep the job. And Royster will always be an ordinary talent, so he must compensate with error-free football while soaking up every blocked yard. One thing we can say confidently: Washington's 2012 run game will be productive with dual-threat Robert Griffin III at quarterback in the zone-blocking scheme. The adventure of pinpointing which runner will lead the backfield in carries remains a work in progress. No one has stepped up.

Doug Martin, BuccaneersStats: Seven rushes for 21 yards and a touchdown; one catch for seven yards.

Recap: Competitor LeGarrette Blount rushed seven times for 30 yards and a touchdown. Blount dominated first-team carries on Tampa's opening drive in Miami, with Martin functioning as the designated third-down back. The rookie executed on a third-and-two carry on a draw play, and successfully cut block a blitzer on third-and-four. The Bucs pulled their starters after the first possession and Martin was an every-down back on the second drive, running behind the Bucs' second-team line while facing the Dolphins' starting defense. He busted a tackle for a gain of ten and caught a pass in the flat for a gain of eight. It took Martin three tries, but he dove over the pile for a goal-line touchdown to cap Tampa's second possession. Martin wound up playing 11 snaps.

Takeaways: Blount ran hard and productively enough that he deserves continued long looks from the coaching staff. He is a physical runner and can wear down a defense. Martin's versatility has already earned him clear-cut passing-down back duties, however, and he'll at least have a share of early-down work early in the season. I thought Martin played very well, making no mistakes in the preseason opener. He will be a major, major factor in the Bucs' 2012 offense.

Wide Receivers

Austin Collie, ColtsStats: Three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Recap:Andrew Luck played four possessions and attempted 16 passes in Indianapolis' preseason opener against St. Louis. No Colts pass catcher saw more of Luck's targets than Collie (5). Although Collie didn't play in one-receiver sets, the Colts used him all over the formation on 17-of-20 first-team snaps. He lined up at X receiver six times, worked in the slot on seven occasions, and was the Z wideout on four plays. Collie gained ten yards on a drag route on Indy's sixth play from scrimmage, and Luck found Collie for a 23-yard touchdown on a flag route five plays later. Lined up at flanker on the Colts' final possession, Collie picked up 12 yards on a dig.

Takeaways: New Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians appears to be using Collie like he once did Antonio Brown. The ability to play multiple positions will help Collie get open, and he's always been underrated in the red zone (16 touchdowns, 16 career starts). I think there's a good chance Collie will emerge as Luck's top target this season. His current ADP is the 14th round.

Recap: Wright played 23 snaps in Tennessee's preseason opener against Seattle, seeing three targets and securing all three for gains of 15 (slant), 14 (curl), and 18 (slot route). Although Wright played extensively with Matt Hasselbeck's group, each of his targets came from "second-teamer" Jake Locker. Wright appeared to line up at the outside X position on 21 of his snaps. I saw him in the slot just twice. Wright looked willing to go over the middle and played fast and physical, racking up yards after the catch. It was clear that Wright is an explosive football player.

Takeaways: Wright is playing the featured position in OC Chris Palmer's system, where Kenny Britt would be lining up were he healthy and an accountable player. While he's clearly still learning Palmer's complex offense -- Wright is not yet involved in every personnel grouping -- he appeared to be a natural moving around the formation and getting open on a variety of patterns. I think there is reason to believe Wright will lead the Titans in receiving, especially if Locker starts.

Recap: Although Wallace has been in the league for two years, I'd never really seen him before this. He's been a special teamer. Wallace played 30 snaps against the Bucs and at 6-foot-4, 225 was an inviting target for Matt Moore and Tannehill. Playing Z receiver -- Chad Johnson's position -- Wallace secured a 21-yard pass from Moore on a slant, and hooked up with Tannehill for gains of 19 (touch pass), 13 (slant), and 18 (skinny post) on the second-team offense. Wallace appeared to be a relatively stiff receiver short on quickness, but he got open regularly against Bucs backups and isn't afraid to grab the football in traffic. He also came off as a strong blocker.

Takeaways: In addition to his 71 yards, Wallace had a touchdown called back on replay. He is a big wide receiver who's paid his dues and now has an opportunity to play extensively on offense. With Johnson out of the picture, Wallace has ascended to No. 1 on the depth chart at Z receiver in Dolphins training-camp practices. He's someone to keep an eye on in deep leagues.

Recap: Tamme played seven snaps in the Broncos' preseason opener against the Bears, lining up five times on the line of scrimmage and as an in-line blocker twice. He was curiously left on the sideline for all of Denver's first-quarter red-zone series, exiting in favor of Joel Dreessen and slot receiver Brandon Stokley. Tamme was targeted twice, the first broken up by Bears WLB Lance Briggs and the second caught after being tipped into the air by Bears SLB Geno Hayes.

Takeaways: I thought it was pretty clear that Tamme will be Denver's "move" tight end, lining up often in the slot and focusing on the passing game. He did not embarrass himself as a blocker, though. Still, it's a bit concerning that Tamme wasn't involved in the red-zone possession. He's not going to score many touchdowns if he doesn't earn a job in those personnel groupings.

Recap: The Browns' first-team offense played 14 snaps in the preseason opener against Detroit. Cameron was on the field for 11 of them, working as an in-line tight end on nine and a slot weapon on two. He stayed in with Colt McCoy's group and played seven more snaps, mostly on the line. Cameron gained 16 yards on a swing pass from Brandon Weeden, and made a highlight-reel catch for a 42-yard pickup down the seam on a throw from McCoy. Cameron also gave strong effort as both a pass and run blocker. He's clearly a very good athlete with pass-catching skills.

Takeaways: It should be noted that Ben Watson (undisclosed) was inactive for this game. So Cameron got the nod as the Browns' primary tight end. There is speculation in Cleveland that Watson's roster spot may be in danger going on age 32 with a $2.88 million salary. If Watson gets cut, the athletic Cameron could take over as an every-down tight end. A basketball player at USC, Cameron has Jimmy Graham-like measurables and has already bypassed Evan Moore. I'd recommend grabbing Cameron in dynasty leagues and putting him on the TE2 radar in re-draft settings.